Learn about Novemberkåsan, an endurance race in the cold of Northern Europe that only the toughest enduro riders can handle.
As the hot, stifling dog days of summer close in this time of year, many of us long to be in a more temperate climate zone. One option would be taking refuge in a place like Sweden, where 70% of the land consists of cool, lush, shaded forests, many laced with meandering trails — the perfect place to take your restored gold tank Yamaha DT-1 Enduro out for a much-needed ride.
Fact is, many Swedes appreciate the beauty, even the heart and soul, of their forests. So much so that strong-willed Swedish enduro riders look forward to gathering for the annual enduro known as Novemberkåsan; and you don’t need to understand the Scandinavian language to figure out that this event takes place during the month of November. The “asan” refers to a silver vase that fiendishly tough Viking warriors used for drinking their neck-snapping ale back in the days of the Longships. And you don’t need to be a climatologist to determine that by the month of November, Sweden’s weather might become more than a little chilly.
Foul weather doesn’t cancel the Swedes’ Novemberkåsan, either. Come rain or shine, or even freezing snow, the enduro goes on into the thick of night. The snow factor, coupled with sub-freezing temperatures, proves to be the biggest challenge for most riders; one year, of the 150 entries, only one rider finished the five 50-kilometer loops. It goes without saying that he was first in class and first overall.
One of America’s top enduro riders, Dick Burleson, shared a similar experience during the 1980 Novemberkåsan when he became the first American to enter the Swedish enduro that originated back in 1915. At the end of the 250-kilometer enduro, Burleson finished first in the 1980 International Class, which is another way of saying entries were limited to non-Swedish riders for that particular class — and by chance, there were no other non-Swedes entered at all. As Burleson commented after completing his five 50-kilometer loops, “I was the only entry [in the International Class]!” Still, the fact remains that just finishing the Novemberkåsan is much of the battle.
Novemberkåsan will no doubt remain a challenging event in which only the bold dare enter and only the strong survive. It’s the only way that any tough Swede would ever have it!
